1980s PERTH AIRPORT VISITORS - US AIR FORCE

A selection of my photographs of US Air Force aircraft at Perth

US Air Force Boeing KC-135A tankers were based at Perth on various missions. 00335 heads this trio in December 1980

KC-135A 23544 arrives from Kadena AFB Japan in December 1980 as part of tanker support for two WC-135Bs at Perth
KC-135Q tanker 91480 taxies for departure from Perth in December 1982, using radio callsign OILY 12

A dash out to the runway with the Safety Officer resulted in this shot of 91480 rotating off Runway 03, December 1982
Its mission was to refuel USAF F-16s returning to Japan from military exercises at RAAF Pearce

KC-135A 00359 callsign ZESTY 11 departs in December 1982 on the same air-to-air refuelling mission for the F-16s

WC-135B 12672 LARK 99 on arrival from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean in February 1982. 
The fuselage intake port allowed collection of atmospheric samples to assess atomic radiation levels

WC-135B 12673 callsign LARK 11 arrived in January 1983 after a 23 hour flight from Patrick AFB in Florida, with air to air
refuelling enroute. It then took air samples at the splashdown point of a Russian satellite in the Indian Ocean

WC-135 12674 departs Runway 21 in February 1987 for an Indian Ocean operation, recovering to Diego Garcia


WC-135B 12666 LARK 52 arrived from Yokota AFB Japan in December 1980 to fly a series of extreme westerly sorties
from Perth across the Indian Ocean

USAF 374 Tactical Airlift Squadron C-130H 73-1580 arrived from Cubi Point, Philippines in July 1982, delivering urgent
engine parts for a US Marines vessel at Perth. The US nationality marking and serial number had been sprayed over and
replaced by the same markings on slide-in metal panels. The 374 TAS squadron markings were also sprayed over

73-1580's metal panels for the serial on the tail and nationality insignia on fuselage, next to the over-sprayed original markings

This Oklahoma Air National Guard C-130H 80807 brought the US Army Golden Knights parachute team in November 1986

Lockheed C-141A Starlifter 38087 in July 1981 wearing the standard USAF Military Airlift Command white and grey scheme

C-141A 40619 arrives from Clark AFB Philippines in July 1981 repainted in the tactical lizard camouflage

The first visit of the stretched C-141B was 60137 in October 1980, seen on taxying after arrival from Pago Pago direct.
This model featured air to air refuelling fittings on the top of the fuselage

The C-141B's extended fuselage length is shown in this view of 60180 in October 1987

C-141B 50283 in the matt lizard camouflage in March 1982

C-141B 60150 landing on Runway 21 in October 1987 was a support aircraft for an Australian tour of USAF Thunderbirds


F-16 81-0667 Thunderbirds 4 touches down at Perth from Jakarta on 13 October 1987

81-0687 Thunderbirds 8 was the last of the eight F-16s in the team stream landing sequence

A study of F-16 81-0670 Thunderbirds 6 after the eight F-16s were parked at Perth

Behind the Thunderbirds came their tanker, McDonnell Douglas KC-10 30078, which provided the air-to-air refuelling
during the flight from Jakarta to Perth.

The USAF Thunderbirds in action over Perth Airport, running in to the display area at Perth city

At the other extreme of USAF flying was crewing Beech C-12A Huron 60163 for the US Embassy in Canberra.
It was frequently seen at Perth, in connection with US naval vessels in port. I took this picture in August 1988


Also wearing United States of America titles were the VIP Boeing VC-137B fleet.
VC-137B 86972 arrived from Avalon in January 1986 and was parked on a disused taxiway inside a security barrier


VC-137B 86970 brought US Secretary of State George Bush on an offical visit in July 1985

An example of the shorter KC-135 series, re-engined and modified for VIP use which were designated VC-135Bs.
VC-135B 12668 seen departing for Canberra in February 1987, after bringing senior military officers from Learmonth


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